Cyprus is among the EU states with best performances on the Single Market Scoreboard.
The European Commission announced Thursday the launch of the online Only Single Market Scoreboard, which incorporates comprehensive reports on 13 governance tools including monitoring the correct transposition of EU directives, analysis of infringement proceedings, administrative cooperation networks and various information and problem-solving services.
The Single Market Scoreboard 2012/2013 aims at giving an overview of the actual situation on the ground. It covers the results that have been achieved by the Member States, but also provides examples of the difficulties citizens and businesses still face in exercising their EU rights.
According to the Single Market Scoreboard, the Cypriot transposition deficit has increased slightly over the past six months, after previously having made the biggest improvements of the Member States in 2012, when it significantly decreased its number of outstanding directives by 15.
It is noted that the current 1 % transposition deficit is still favourable, equaling the 1 % deficit target agreed by the Member States. Cyprus has one outstanding directive more than two years overdue, regardless of the "zero tolerance" targets for such directives.
Cyprus has cut the average delay between the lapse of deadlines and transposition by over five months since November 2012 with a current delay of 6.7 months.
On the other hand, Cyprus is second only to Malta as the Member State with the best compliance deficit: infringement proceedings for non-conformity have been opened by the Commission for only two of the directives notified (0.1 %), which is well below the 0.5 % proposal for the Single Market Act.
Cyprus is one of the Member States with the least pending infringement proceedings relating to the internal market, with a caseload well below the EU average. The Member State has made further efforts to reduce its backlog in the past six months by two, with 12 cases currently pending.
It should also be noted that Cypriot cases are also resolved faster than the 27 month EU average at 24.9 months. Finally, Cyprus has the shortest time lag of the Member States between court rulings and compliance with EU law at just over three months, compared to the 17.6 month EU average.
The average response time of Cyprus respects the 70-day benchmark in EU Pilot.
As regards the Internal Market Information System, requests in Cyprus are accepted within one week: 74 % (EU average: 74 %). Requests are answered within the mutually agreed deadline: 64 % (EU average: 64 %). The average time taken to reply to requests is 14 days (EU average: 22 days).
“Overall, Cyprus is performing well with results equal to the EU average. Cyprus should try to maintain the improvement seen recently in the average response times”, it is noted.
